


Until We Have Faces

by The_Poutsider (stilinski_syndrome)



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: (not between major character if it is any consolation), Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, M/M, Mindfuck, The Outsider is a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:25:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stilinski_syndrome/pseuds/The_Poutsider
Summary: Sometimes The Outsider possesses human bodies to get closer to his Marked.





	

Corvo blinks to the roof of the Overseers' bunkhouse and crouches, looking for potential enemies. He is on his way to meet Samuel in the backyard and he has absolutely no desire to stay longer than necessary, but his ear catches a strange sound coming from the room below. Sound he would rather expect to hear in an interrogation room. 

It takes him a few seconds to process what he sees in the window. There is figure in black bent over one of the beds, masculine rather than feminine, but it's hard to say for sure, because its face is covered with a rubber mask – a Whaler's mask. Two Overseers are standing on the each side of the bed, and their intentions are no mystery to Corvo.

“In the name of the Void, just hold him,” says one of them, struggling with his belt, “he'll be all yours after.”

“Can I take of his mask? “

“If you wanna have your dick bitten off – be my guest,” the first Overseer is finished with his pants, which means that Corvo has very little time to act. Risking his head for one of the Daud's men is the last thing he wants to do, but then again, he has no love for the Overseers. Or rapists. Which is a good thing, because he's out of sleep darts, but not out of bolts. 

His first bolt goes right through the Pants Guy's throat, and he slowly falls right on top of his victim's body. The Mask Guy conveniently picks this very moment to take off the Whaler's mask and before he notices anything, Corvo blinks behind him and slits his throat. He would prefer not to face the man he just saved, but it's too late – the mask is off, the Whaler lifts his head and his eyes look very, very familiar.

“Hello, Corvo. Your timing is perfect. Would you mind helping me up?”

“What are you doing _here?_ Am I dreaming again?”

“Does this look like a dream to you?” the distant, monotonous voice of an ancient god sounds strange, coming from the mouth of a young fair-haired man. He bears no resemblance to the Outsider, but the eyes, the voice and the inability to answer a simple question are all there. Corvo cuts the ropes on his hands, and the Outsider rubs his wrists. 

“I have a habit of possessing mortal bodies every once in a while. To get some first-hand experience. And it was just so _perfect_ that you happened to be in the neighborhood.”

“So, you did it on purpose? But why? You must've known what they were going to do to this body.”

“All the more reasons to give the host a little time off,” Outsider sits on the bed, looking up at Corvo, “and I was sure you would come to the rescue. I'm glad I wasn't mistaken.”

“What if you were?”

The Outsider is playing some sort of game with him, a game in which Corvo probably cannot win.

“I wasn't. But I still want to thank you.” 

“Then help me get rid of the bodies,” Corvo doesn't have much time, and every second spent in this place is more and more dangerous

“I'll take care of it. And I will take care of the body I'm in. The boy won't remember anything. He'll wake up with a headache, but other than that – no traces of what happened here. No consequences.”

“Good. Then I'll be going.”

The Outsider takes his hand and pulls him closer.

“I still haven't thank you,”  the room suddenly seems bleak and quiet, and Corvo realises that time has stopped. Everything stopped, only the Outsider's hands are moving, stroking his hips, searching for his belt. 

“As I already said, he won't feel anything. This is between you and me. You thought you were dreaming, weren't you? Then think of it as a dream.”

It takes some effort, like he's moving through water, but Corvo pushes Outsider's hands away. Time starts again, and he blinks back to the roof and runs without looking back. The possibility of being caught suddenly seems like a lesser evil.

***

Esma Boyle was the easiest target so far – the poor trollop took him past the guards and straight into her bedroom. She pauses near the bed, undoing the ribbons holding her mask; Corvo comes closer, ready to choke her, but freezes when she suddenly says:

“Going to have a little fun, Corvo? Don't let me ruin your evening.”

This time the Outsider sounds like a woman, but somehow distorted – like Esma's voice cords cannot cope with the pressure of his voice.

“So, men are not your thing, though I could've sworn that you were _very excited_ during our last encounter. But everyone can be tempted. Esma Boyle is a desirable woman,” posessed Esma turns to him and cups his cheek, “and she wants you too. Whatever you decide to do with her, it's her last night as a free woman. Even the criminals are granted their last wish, don't they?”

Their bodies are almost touching. The slim hand in a white glove moves down Corvo's abdomen, but he doesn't flinch.

“Is it my presence that discourages you?” Esma tilts her elegant head, her pitch-black eyes fixed on Corvo's face. “I suppose, I can share this body. She will be almost herself, unaware of my presence. But _you_  will know.”

“You do that,” calmly says Corvo, catching her hand. He sees the Outsider's smile on the woman's face, and then her eyes become empty for a second, going back to their natural color, and Corvo turns her around and chokes her. Her body relaxes in his arms, and a part of him hopes that the Outsider will stay inside her long enough to surprise Lord Brisby when his victim wakes up.  
***

He wants to forget this day and get some sleep before he goes after Burrows, but every time he closes his eyes black-eyed Esma is here, mocking him. At last, fatigue overcomes him, his vision blurs and next thing he sees is a woman lying in his bed beside him.

A bush of black hair. Hair he has touched so many times.

“Jessy, is that you?” he knows he's dreaming, but cannot bring himself to shake it off. She is here and she feels so real in his arms. “I miss you so much.”

“I know, Corvo. Come to me.”

And he kisses her, again and again, his hands desperately searching her body. Jessy, my Jessy, he murmurs, let me look at you, I miss you, let me see you, but she presses his face into her chest. Her jacket is unbuttoned and Corvo feels her skin under his mouth – soft and cold and so white it's almost glowing...

Horror creeps into his chest, and as he lifts his head he prays that he is mistaken, but he is not. It is the glow of the Void, and Void is looking at him through his dead lover's eyes.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he's almost crying, pushing false Jessamine away, and when he tries to sit up his whole body is shaking. “Are you testing me?  You've seen every step I took, you were pleased with my choices, what else do you want to know? Or this is the price I have to pay? Do you want to break me, drive me mad like you drove Granny Rags?”

Jessamine disappears. Now Outsider stands before him in his true form. 

“I have no desire to break you, Corvo. On the contrary, I have powers to grant your every wish, no matter how twisted or impossible it may be,” his voice is monotonous as always, but he frowns slightly as if he was startled or offended.

“Many people would go to any length to get that chance, but once again you surprised me. Well, so be it.”

The Outsider looks away, dissolving into black smoke, and Corvo wakes up with a bitter taste in his mouth.

***

Corvo waits until Slackjaw escapes before approaching the shrine in Granny Rag’s “home” in the sewers. It is active, with fresh offerings and a rune on the table, but when he touches the rune, nothing happens. He doesn't need to take it anyway – he has all the powers he could ever wanted. There is just one last thing he needs to do before going after the Loyalists, and the absense of the Outsider makes it harder and easier at the same time. 

Corvo finds a pen in the bedroom – Granny won’t need it anymore. He scribbles a few words on a piece of paper and leaves it on the table. He hopes that this message will be received, because… well, Corvo might not live long enough to tell the Outsider himself.

_Next time just come as you are._

***

And he does.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Come check me out on Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/callmeisolde


End file.
